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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Ad Regias Agni Dapes” (Organ Accompaniment)

Jeff Ostrowski · March 24, 2020

INDING organ accompaniments for the Divine Office can be challenging. The best source is the Nova Organi Harmonia, but sometimes I desire more options. I am capable of improvising harmonizations “at sight” (directly from the Gregorian notation), but this approach has disadvantages. I have heard certain organists (e.g. Dr. Horst Buchholz) brilliantly improvise harmonies. On the other hand, I have heard some “improvised” accompaniments that were just awful. Common sense dictates that Registration, Harmonies, and Harmonic Rhythm be adjusted based on the particular choir and acoustic situation—but some organists seem incapable of this.

I invite you to examine my harmonization:

*  PDF Download • AD REGIAS AGNI DAPES
—Harmonization by Jeff Ostrowski using the “corrupt” text from 1632.

*  PDF Download • AD CENAM AGNI PROVIDI
—Harmonization by Jeff Ostrowski using the traditional text from the 4th century.

Both texts come from the Brébeuf hymnal, which contains many additional musical settings for this ancient hymn. It serves as the Vespers Hymn for Eastertide or (in some churches) as a Communion hymn.

Here’s how the Hymn looked approximately 1425AD, although they chose a different melody:

To understand why Mediæval monks often chose different tunes for the same text (just like the Brébeuf hymnal), please carefully read this. This technique was also discussed at length during Sacred Music Symposium 2019—and important information was included in the booklets given to each participant. [By the way, have you signed up for Sacred Music Symposium 2020 yet?]

In 1632AD, this hymn was greatly altered by the revisers under Pope Urban VIII; only three lines remained unaltered. The Brébeuf hymnal makes it easy to compare the traditional hymn text (“Ad Cœnam Agni Providi”) with the version produced in 1632AD by Pope Urban VIII:


To understand why the Brébeuf hymnal places so much focus on the traditional hymns—along with the revisions by Pope Urban VIII—read what Fr. Adrian Fortescue wrote about the Urbanite revision:

In the seventeenth century came the crushing blow which destroyed the beauty of all breviary hymns.  […] Attempts to reform them had been made before, but so far they had been spared. Pope Urban VIII (d. 1644) was destined to succeed in destroying them. He appointed four Jesuits to reform the hymns, so that they should no longer offend Renaissance ears. […] These four Jesuits, in that faithful obedience to the Holy See which is the glory of their society, with a patient care that one cannot help admiring, set to work to destroy every hymn in the office. They had no concept of the fact that many of these hymns were written in meter by accent; their lack of understanding those venerable types of Christian poetry is astounding. They could conceive no ideal but that of a school grammar of Augustan Latin. Wherever a line was not as Horace would have written it, it had to go. The period was hopelessly bad for any poetry; these pious Jesuits were true children of their time. So they embarked on that fatal reform whose effect was the ruin of our hymns. They slashed and tinkered, they re-wrote lines and altered words, they changed the sense and finally produced the poor imitations that we still have, in the place of the hymns our fathers sang for over a thousand years. Indeed their confidence in themselves is amazing. They were not ashamed to lay their hands on Sedulius, on Prudentius, on St. Ambrose himself.

The Brébeuf hymnal is the first hymnal to provide a literal translation of many ancient Latin hymns. The translations were created with the assistance of FSSP priests. The literal translation for “Ad Cenam Agni Providi” is found on page 24:

I have seen misguided people online erroneously claim that the Brébeuf hymnal is the first hymnal to write out each verse. The truth is, Solesmes Abbey has been doing this since the 1930s. For example, consider how this hymn was printed in the Liber Usualis.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Ad Regias Agni Dapes, Gregorian Chant Accompaniments, Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal Last Updated: May 15, 2021

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Equal Voices” Choir Pieces
    My colleague, CORRINNE MAY, has posted some delightful compositions for equal voices: that is, choirs consisting of all men or all women. Included there are settings of the “Ave Maria” and “Tantum Ergo.” They strike me as relatively simple and not excessively lengthy. (In other words, within reach of volunteer singers.) Even better, all the scores have been made available as instant PDF downloads, completely free of charge. Bravo!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“How on earth in the [post-conciliar] liturgy for the dead should there be no more mention of sin and expiation? There’s a complete absence of imploring the Lord’s mercy. […] Although the texts were beautiful they were still lacking in the sense of sin and the sense of mercy. But we need this! And when my final hour comes, ask for mercy for me from the Lord, because I have such need of it!”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (3 June 1971)

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